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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Demos: BIGGIE SMALLS' Unsigned Hype Demo Tape (1992)

When it comes to BIGGIE's demo tape that got him recognized by The Source and their Unsigned Hype column (and eventually by Puffy) I had to question which version is the real demo tape. I've heard that THIS is his Unsigned Hype demo, however one listen and all it sounds like is a collection of freestyles that have DJ drops all over them (even though it does include some of the songs below). On top of that, the Unsigned Hype column said there were 4 songs on the tape and there are 6 songs on the demo in question so I'm saying FUCK THAT. I don't buy it, not as BIGGIE's demo tape that was shopped to labels back in '91/92 anyways.

Then there is the 3 songs that are on the Notorious soundtrack and also at the #1 spot on Complex's Demo List. "Guaranteed Raw", "Love No Hoe", and "Microphone Murder" are by all accounts on the tape that made its way to The Source. There was also a 4th song on the demo that, through hours and hours of extensive research, I believe was "The Wickedest". "The Wickedest" eventually found a home on Funk Flex's Mix Tape Volume 4 that came out in '94 and was credited to Biggie & Mister Cee (who was responsible for shopping BIG's demo around) so it makes sense that it wasn't included on the Notorious soundtrack as a "previously unreleased demo".

That brings us to the 4 songs below that were on BIGGIE's Unsigned Hype demo tape. This isn't a rip of the tape itself, however, but it is the best sounding versions of the 4 songs that made up the demo tape that sparked the career of one of the greatest rapper to ever do it - BIGGIE SMALLS!

*If you have a good copy of the actual demo tape (without DJ drops all over it) that The Source heard back in '92 then I would love to hear it and have my Sherlock Holmes routine proven wrong. Although, I'm 99% sure I'm on point with this one. Enjoy the demo - BIGGIE SMALLS is the ILLEST!